1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus which is capable of processing metadata, an image processing method therefor, and a storage medium for storing a program for implementing the image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has been proposed a digital multifunction peripheral (MFP) provided with a function of reading a rasterized image by a scanner, classifying the read rasterized image into objects, such as text objects and graphic objects, filing the objects, and reusing the filed objects (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H05-342408).
Further, a technique has been proposed in which metadata (attached information on data) is attached to image data so as to make it possible to carry out processing accurately reflecting the properties of image data (see e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-025129). This technique enables an application to optimally process desired image data using metadata attached to the image data.
However, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 2006-025129, whenever image data is transmitted for use by an application, metadata as well is sent to the application in a state attached to the image data. Necessary metadata differs from application to application, and hence metadata useful for one application may not be necessitated by another. Therefore, if data is always transmitted within a system, with all metadata attached thereto, it is considered that useless information is sometimes wastefully transmitted, which causes an increase in the amount of transmitted data and resultant delay in transmission processing.